• State Finance Minister Shehan says protestors politically motivated
• Claims groups not earning taxable income also protesting

Responding to the ultimatum given by trade unions and professional associations to revise the recent tax amendments in the backdrop of large scale protests which took place in this regard in Colombo yesterday (22), State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe ruled out that any changes to the tax policies will be done. 

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Semasinghe said that the Government is not in a position to make a revision on the tax amendments. 

“I can see that certain people who are protesting against the taxation are not liable to pay taxes. Their incomes are well below Rs. 100,000. There are politically motivated groups. Since the 2020 tax amendments, tax files were reduced from 1.7 million to 500,000. If you see prior to the recent revision, the percentage of tax files was equivalent to 2.2% of the total population. That is a very low percentage. I know that it is difficult. People would like to have a higher threshold and a lower rate. We are a debtor country, and for us to ensure that economic stability is brought back, we will have to wait for the creditor countries also. It is their taxpayers’ money which they have invested in or lent to Sri Lanka. We have to make sure that we get our house in order. Temporarily, it will be a difficult task and a painful period, but in the long run, everybody will have benefits,” he added. 

However, the ultimatum given by the trade unions and professional associations to the Government to implement a fair tax policy had already ended and they issued a fresh ultimatum during the protest held yesterday (22) in Colombo.